The Precious Dead
by SmeaGollumPrecious
Summary: With the apocalypse established as the new way of living, the first half walker, Samantha, rises. Upon murdering her friend, a voice comes to her known as 'Gollum', with promises to keep her alive. However, it is soon revealed that Gollum's intentions are not as altruistic as they first seemed and Samantha is left struggling to balance who she once was with Gollum's darker desires.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Thank you very much for reading this! To begin with, I will briefly explain how this crossover works. Characters have been brought from Lord of The Rings to the world of The Walking Dead and have been adapted appropriately. I have made the Lord Of The Rings characters female and have changed their names to suit the context of The Walking Dead as follows:**

 **Samantha – Sméagol**

 **Deanna – Déagol**

 **Billy – Bilbo**

 **I have kept Gollum's name the same, considering his real name is Sméagol (which has been changed) and Gollum is only his 'nickname.'**

In the midst of the woodlands, Samantha began to stir. A crow had been pecking about her arm, but caught by surprise, it squawked and flew off. The black wings beat against the wind rushing through the bare autumn trees, the leaves decaying on the earth. All of this was a blurred haze to Samantha, the branches of each tree competing with one another for height, in a desperate bid to escape the horrors of the world beneath them. In her limited state of mind, she heard a subdued cracking and crunching, as someone carefully trod through the littered ground of dirt, branches, leaves and bones. Slowly, Samantha's vision came into focus, and her nose's sense was aroused at the scent of fresh meat. The footsteps came to a halt at her feet, but the silence was soon broken once more by a soft sobbing. Uttering Incomprehensible words, Deanna, Samantha's only friend, fumbled for her gun in an attempt to put down the monstrous figure which had taken over. Yet this figure still wore Samantha's face, albeit with rotting flesh coated with dry blood choking around her left eye, her skin as pale as the clouds above, which were shrouded and stabbed by the branching trees.

Samantha remembered nothing of Deanna, nor of her life before. Having only her walker instincts in place, Samantha was not impeded by the hesitation Deanna faced with memories of the past, both sweet as before the apocalypse and bitter as afterwards. Samantha lunged at Deanna, sinking her teeth straight into her weak skin with a complete lack of awareness as to her actions.

Several screams were followed by the fluttering of many other birds departing in flight, as they too held on to the false promises of peace that the deadly calm of the woodlands insinuated.

Gripping on to Deanna's black hair, laced with the refuse of the ground, Samantha faced little resistance as her friend clasped her hand, filled with the regrets of her life. It was all meaningless, however, as she simply yanked Deanna's hand and began to gnaw against her arm. A final whisper escaped Deanna's lips:

'I'm... sorry, Sa-'

Her body went limp before she could finish.

Samantha, however, was far from finishing.

Not long afterwards, Samantha and Deanna's group found the two of them: one a crumpled gory mess, the remnants of a detached arm nearby. The other was languid and drenched in blood, turning towards them, her malnourished face contradicting the implications of the sight of her prey.

A gunshot rang out as one member of the group shot what was left of Deanna between her eyes, before she too could reanimate. There had been remorse in her eyes, but this vanished as she turned her aim towards Samantha, a secure grip clenching the trigger. However, this faltered in her sudden surprise.

To everyone's complete astonishment, they heard something they thought they would never hear before. A slow stutter emerged from Samantha's bloody lips; not the mindless groans of other walkers, but real, apprehensible words:

"Wait… Don't kill…"

And nothing more.

In disarray, the different members of the group looked at one another, unsure of how to react or whose decision this was to make; walkers have never even tried to speak before. One called Samantha's name in their surprise, his face creased in a frown, as he was unaware what impact this may have, if any.

The significance was far more profound than any of them would have guessed.

Samantha's mind began to form thoughts, at first a trickle of words, then a fountain of names and places before the flooding of a lifetime of memories.

Turning slowly, she looked back to Deanna's body, beginning to realise what she had done. Her eyes widened in fear and horror, but she could not drag them from the sight. She remained as motionless as the body itself, nagging pangs prodding at her stomach in her guilt.

She ate her.

She ate her only friend.

She wanted to throw up, she wanted to take this all back, she wished she was dead for good. The only thing that kept her together, her final grasp at sanity, was her unabating lack of ability to feel emotions strongly.

Involuntarily, a choking cough convulsed from her mouth as though she were saying 'Gollum'; a sporadic contraction originating in her throat which she had no control over.

The group had never cared much for Samantha and so began to mock her, mimicking her noises and blaming this all on her for being weak, for being naïve.

The woman who had shot Deanna was afraid of what might happen if they kept Samantha, though she dared not admit it. She decided the appropriate 'punishment', as they called it in their jeering, would be leaving Samantha to live alone with her guilt. They abandoned Samantha, their taunting ringing in her ears as they went.

It was then that she regained the full extent of her human emotions, feeling despair and revulsion towards herself. She wept, her head between her knees, with the occasional glance at Deanna which would only leave her crying out, pulling at her hair and trying to scramble away. Then for a while she lay in a still heap upon the ground, only for the crows to return to her and Deanna, causing her to scream in fright and grief. No other walkers came, they were too far away to hear; that was why her group had chosen to camp in those woodlands for a short while.

She was alone.

In her state of utter disorientation, her reason left her with but one option. She felt in her pocket for her gun and once she had taken it out, she ran her hand along the cool metal. Except, the metal no longer felt cool to her. She was no longer shivering in the autumn breeze as she had been mere hours ago. She could not feel the cold anymore because she was dead and overstaying her welcome in the world. She was decided: she raised her gun to her left temple, the side of her face on which her bite mark lay, and tightened her grip against the trigger.

She was left alone in the moment she needed consolation the most. And somehow, consolation found its way to her.

The strangest sensation had taken over her body, as if it was no longer hers anymore. She could still feel but had lost control over what she was feeling. She heard a voice come from her mouth, but it wasn't her own. It sounded like Samantha, only deeper, harsher and full of concealed malice. Nothing she was told had passed through her stream of consciousness. At first she was terrified, yet at a loss for what she could possibly do and so she listened.

They told her that they understand, and will understand her as no one ever will. They told her that this is what she is now, and there's no way to change it. She can only embrace it.

Listening to this voice, Samantha slowly lowered her gun. She was told that she could disappear for a while, for forever, if that is what she wished, but that she was always welcome back. The voice told her that they will be her only friend from now on, the only one who will listen.

And Samantha heeded every word said, sinking back into the depths of her mind, letting the other presence take over.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Just to avoid any confusion, because 'Samantha' is female, I've made her 'Gollum' personality female as well.**

The next couple of weeks flashed before Samantha, the helpless screaming of humans, their blood spilling down her lips. She separated herself from it all, telling herself that it was the doings of 'Gollum', as she had begun to call the new presence invading her head. Almost losing herself, Samantha remained tempted to fall into endless abyss forever, handing her life over completely. She was horrified with the things she saw her other self do before her eyes, the eyes they shared.

However, very slowly, she realised that no one had ever risked their life so much for her as Gollum had, and she could not give up after all that had been done. With this new perspective, Samantha began to admire Gollum's ruthlessness, the lengths that she would go for the two of them to survive. In turn, Samantha was often reminded that she would be nowhere without her.

When Samantha felt strong enough to return, Gollum would always be there to listen to everything she had to say, to 'comfort' her in her tears by sternly reminding her they were pointless, the past is behind them and the only thing that mattered is their future together.

They soon left the woodlands behind them, relinquishing the past, and entered a small town nearby. The buildings were crumbling and decaying around them, standing like giant tombstones for all the unburied bodies strewed upon the ground. Roaming through the streets, Samantha soon learnt that she need not fear other walkers; she had become one herself and could walk amongst them entirely unnoticed. Despite this, they still sent a shiver down her spine and she preferred her own company, or rather, the company of herself and Gollum.

Wondering around, she came across a packet of assorted nuts and had the sudden intense desire to replace the taste of blood and flesh in her mouth with her memories of the taste of normal foods. She anxiously tore away at the packet and stuffed the nuts into her mouth, still clutching on to the hope that she could be human, that she did not have to eat people. They tastelessly slid down her throat and mere minutes after, she was left choking and regurgitating all her stomach's contents, leaving her far hungrier than she was before. She learnt from this that Gollum was right; she was no longer human and should not keep fooling herself into thinking she was.

After Samantha had become used to the prospect of sharing her mind with someone, especially one she considered so fearless and brave, she begun to express her strong desire to speak with a human. To her dismay, it only angered Gollum, who in reply would ask if she was not enough for her, and informed her that humans would never wish to be friends with her, not once they find out that she ate her 'best friend'. Samantha was told she was a monster, no one else would accept her, and so Gollum coerced her into promising to never intervene when she was dealing with humans. Whenever a human came into sight, Samantha crept back into the depths of her mind and let Gollum do what she must.

Following such events, Gollum would become sweet to Samantha, asking her where they should venture and what they should do.

As time passed by, Samantha's longing to make contact with a human still remained with her, deeply evoking feelings of isolation. For the first time since Gollum had come to her she kept a secret, feeling more courageous than usual. Gollum, in spite of this, was not fooled for one moment and could sense what was happening. Without mentioning anything, she let Samantha go ahead with her plans.

Samantha found a human, a young man travelling through the streets of the desolate town, the buzzing of flies interrupted by his heavy footsteps. Her own footsteps increased with speed, thoughts whirling around her mind about what might happen next. Hearing her, he spun around and she opened her mouth wide in her excitement, preparing to yell out to him. Hesitating for a moment through her anticipation, she contemplated what she should say first.

All too quickly the events unturned as he started crying out and firing several shots in her direction.

Gollum quickly pushed Samantha back in their mind and put the human down, with neither mercy nor reluctance. Samantha wept afterwards, only to be told that she was warned and should know by now who had the better judgement. She was called weak and naïve, just as she had been by her group when she had first turned and killed Deanna.

After reprimanding Samantha, Gollum declared that she had learnt her lesson, becoming less hostile as she often did when their latest meal settled within them. Samantha was glad for her actions being left forgotten, yet also desperately wished to prove herself. Regretfully accepting that she should no longer keep anything to herself, she voiced this concern to Gollum, who replied saying she knew exactly what to do, but refusing to reveal what it was. Whilst Samantha never admitted it, she bitterly realised she had no right to privacy anymore, despite Gollum's covert manner in return towards her.

A few days later, Gollum had found a human and stealthily stalked them, not betrayed by senseless groaning as other walkers were. She matched the timings of their footsteps and Samantha could not help but pity the woman in front, who would soon be caught completely unaware by Gollum's unrelenting jaw. The woman cautiously approached an abandoned car and closing her eyes, forced her arm through the window, scarcely open enough, and reached in, leaning over to try and open the door from the inside.

A piercing alarm stabbed at the ears of all nearby as the car announced the intruder to the still landscape, and the woman turned in terror, trying to pull her arm out as the dead straggled towards her. With a cry, her arm was wrenched free and she sprinted into the nearest building, closing the door behind her. All the while, Gollum had been watching, standing against a lamp post, away from any possible line of fire. She continued to follow the woman, noticing a window open on the far side of the building. Effortlessly, she managed to slip inside, due to her scrawny, emaciated form.

She smelt around the stuffy air and soon caught the fresh scent of human as she walked towards the main entrance of what must have been a grocery store. The front door was being held in place with an empty shelf, which rattled as the walkers unceasingly groaned and shoved against it. Gollum and Samantha caught sight of the woman's blonde plait, as she was reaching under a shelving unit on all fours in an attempt to reach a couple of tins beneath. The sound of their approach was concealed by the growling outside and Gollum set herself upon the woman, who shrieked in surprise. She tried to reach for her gun in her coat pocket, only for Gollum to grab it and toss it aside, leaving her aghast as she realised that walkers never thought to unarm people first.

Seeing her opportunity, Gollum did the last thing Samantha would have ever expected her to do; she receded back in their mind and left Samantha exposed at the forefront. Samantha had little time to process what was happening; the human had taken out a knife and was struggling against her. She was terrified, seeing the woman looking up at her with both fear and a murderous desire, as a stab was aimed towards her skull. Narrowly avoiding it, Samantha wished to scream out to Gollum and beg for her help but she could not, as her jaw was being pushed shut by the human, and rightly so after what Gollum had planned to do.

In her quandary, Samantha remorsefully let her instincts take over and pinned the arm holding the knife down with her knee, forcing her jaw back open and chewing the human's fingers off. The woman screamed and pulled her hand away, the sound attracting more walkers who pounded against the door, wanting their own share. The clamour rung in Samantha's ears and she wanted it gone, she needed it over with, and so she bit down on the woman's throat and felt her go limp in the grip of her teeth, just as Deanna had once done.

It was then that Gollum returned, taking over, and Samantha could feel a smile forming on their face. Samantha was praised as she had never been praised before, with Gollum proud that she had finally truly embraced who they were. Her guilt gradually dissipated as she gratefully accepted the compliments, glad that she had gained more of Gollum's trust. She could not help but have the slightest feeling of pride for impressing Gollum, who had always been right. Thinking back to the murderous look the human had given her, she realised how many times Gollum must have faced such looks and how dauntlessly she had saved them every time from such circumstances. Samantha expressed her deep gratitude to Gollum for always doing what was necessary for them to survive, regardless of the consequences.

Gollum revelled in it, knowing that she had won.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N This is my rendition of 'Riddles In The Dark'.**

In spite of the constant guilt she would feel, Samantha continued to assist Gollum when it came to killing humans. As a result, there was greater trust established between the two of them, and Samantha began to earn more liberty for herself. Over time, she knew she was gradually becoming more and more like Gollum herself, yet she forever maintained her naïvety and was often scorned for doing so.

She was taught many things and became skilled in the guiles of hunting without weapons; any weapons that is, other than her teeth. On the odd occasion, she had no choice but to use the assistance of a gun or knife, but not without regret for the loss of fresh and warm blood.

The two of them decided to never let the humans they devour turn; they were special as the only walker that could think and speak and agreed that they had no need to share this great advantage. After all, if there were others like them, humans would be more inclined to kill them; one half-walker could be seen as hope for a cure, but several of them would be perceived as a threat which needs to be quashed.

For now, they resided on the top floor of a large office building, where the innumerous upturned tables and chairs concealed her well as she stayed in the corner of the room furthest from the door. Most surfaces were pocked with bullet holes, and coated over with the blood of the walkers who now senselessly roamed the streets outside. Smashed computers had their components strewn across the floor, which was sure to alert Samantha if someone entered the room, as she would certainly hear them being trodden upon.

It seemed to work well, for after a few days, a lost human cautiously entered the room, her brown curled locks loosely bound in a plait. She seemed to be at the end of her wits, stranded from her group. She slowly swept the room with her eyes and stepped into it, frowning as she almost tripped over a wire, contemplating how useless technology had become in such a short time. She seemed to have the same idea as Samantha, travelling to the room's farthest and most hidden corner, but the room was large and she had not yet worked out the most nimble route there.

Samantha felt Gollum creep themselves across such a route to reach this human, before suddenly jumping before them.

'Look what we have here, my preciousss!' Gollum hissed, rising back up to full height. This brought a great feeling of happiness to Samantha as Gollum used the phrase 'my precious' when she felt particularly pleased with her. After all, Samantha had been the one to discover this hideout for themselves. What was more, she was joyfully surprised that Gollum had now trusted her enough to talk to the terrified form backing away before them.

The human, whose name was Billy, was in complete surprise but rightly assumed that as a walker, albeit one who could talk, she was planning on consuming her. Her gun had run out of ammunition and so she pulled out her long and sharpened knife.

'S-Stay away from me!' she stuttered in reply, edging back towards them with her weapon tightly clasped, despite having so many unanswered questions running through her head.

Samantha withdrew, turning her head to one side and commenting to Gollum about the knife; its thin edge could to do much harm to her brain if aimed correctly. She herself was not sure what to do in such a situation, considering this was the longest Gollum had ever let a human this close to them live.

Gollum, displeased with Samantha showing such weakness, could sense Billy's terror and strode back towards her, gloating as she went.

'I wonder how this one tastes, my preciousss, don't you? _Gollum, Gollum_. Is it soft... and juicy?' Gollum asked, her voice echoing around the room as she stared straight into Billy's dilated pupils, a wicked grin growing across her face.

Billy brandished the knife, fearing it would no longer have an effect in preventing the monster before her coming any closer. She knew for certain that they could talk, however, and therefore made an attempt to reason with them.

'Look, I don't want any trouble... I've just gotten lost and need to find my way out of this town, a safe way. Neither one of us needs to get hurt.' She winced at how close Gollum was to her now, as she could see small smears of blood lingering by her mouth, still held in a grin.

Listening to Billy, Samantha knew what it felt like to be lost, although not in the same sense. She knew how it felt to be lost in the world, unsure of where you belong, whom you belong with. Without thinking her actions through, she took control of her mind and turned the grin into a friendly and excitable smile.

'We know the way out, yes! Away from the dead ones!' she exulted, which startled Billy, but also filled her with a sense of relief. This relief was short lived, however, as Gollum soon returned to stop Samantha from saying anymore.

'Shut up!' she reviled Samantha.

Billy watched in confusion, beginning to mistrust if any of this was even real. Nevertheless, after the apocalypse, not much more could confound her.

'I didn't say anything,' Billy replied after some hesitation, not yet fully understanding the split in Samantha's mind.

'We weren't talking to you,' Gollum retorted, glaring at her.

'Well, I was,' Samantha found the courage to profess, hunching up her shoulders and turning her head from side to side, anxious about the response she would receive.

Billy was beginning to perceive Samantha's naïvety, but believed that there was some trickery to this, a ploy to catch her off guard.

'I'm not interested in your games,' she declared.

Without fully hearing what has been said, Samantha turned back towards Billy, the smile on her face growing.

' _Games?_ Does it like games? We can play!' she said, and followed this by instantly posing a riddle.

Billy went along with it and answered correctly, in the hopes of distracting the walker from her initial intentions. Samantha was delighted; she was finally having a conversation with a human. Gollum, however, wanted to put an end to it at once.

'No! No more games, finish her off, _now!_ ' she ordered, preparing herself for the kill. Billy made a desperate attempt to save herself.

'No, I want to play, I really do!' she said as convincingly as she could, hoping that this would appease Samantha. 'And if I win, you'll help me find my way.'

'Yes, of course,' Samantha immediately agreed, eagerly nodding her head. Gollum had no plans to hold to such an agreement, but decided it could be quite amusing to toy around with the human first.

'And if it loses, my preciousss, what then?' she questioned Samantha, looking for something she could bring up in her criticisms later. Despite this, Samantha was already aware that she would be reprimanded most harshly, and so decided she needed to impress Gollum with the terms she made.

'If it loses, we'll eat it,' she replied and then repeated herself to Billy. In her fear and horror, Billy contemplated this as best as she could, and agreed to it only for the sake of buying herself more time.

And so they played, Samantha happier than she had ever been since she turned, Billy more terrified than she had ever felt, and Gollum taking great pleasure in Billy's fear, but not without slight annoyance towards Samantha for delaying their meal.

Gollum continued with her gloating, displaying her sharp teeth, with Billy forced to look, not daring to turn away. After Gollum had posed one riddle, Samantha in her excitement almost revealed the answer.

'I know!' she cried, but received a sharp hiss in response and she shuddered slightly. Billy watched, pitying the lost girl she saw before her, until she remembered that if she did not give an answer soon, she would have to face far more than disapproving hisses.

Samantha knew she had to prove herself again, and so decided to taunt Billy herself; she saw this as no more than a game without regarding it from Billy's perspective. Following Samantha's next riddle, Billy turned slightly and looked up in thought, and using the opportunity, Samantha silently slipped under one of the desks and hid herself from the human's sight.

'I... I'm not entirely sure about this one - Where are you?' she asked nervously, holding her knife ready, her head darting in different directions. In the manner of Gollum, Samantha began to hiss to herself.

'Is it tasty, my preciousss?' she asked, trying to mirror Gollum's earlier behaviour. In a sing-song voice she added, 'is it scruuuummptioussss?'

Gollum's grin returned, as they positioned themselves behind the trembling human, sadistically relishing Billy's terror.

'Is it crunchable?' Gollum continued, suddenly grabbing and squeezing on to Billy's shoulders. Billy shrieked, pulling herself from the walker's grasp and knowing that she only managed to free herself because Samantha relented. She soon gave the correct answer, knife still at the ready, not daring to look away this time.

'This is your last chance to ask us,' Gollum growled, as she grew tired of the game.

Not being able to think of a riddle that would be difficult enough to answer, Billy took a deep breath.

'If you used to be a human yourself… then why are you like this now?' she asked, aware of the consequences of asking such a question.

Samantha spent a few moments staring deeply into Billy's blue eyes, her own widened, as she realised she used to be just like her, a terrified girl who does not deserve to live in a world like this, who has tried so very hard to survive that she does not deserve to die now, alone.

'After all, you were once... bitten,' Billy continued hesitantly, gesturing to the skin around Samantha's left eye, causing her to look away. 'Don't you remember how it felt to face those monsters?'

Samantha suddenly gasped at being associated with such a name, and the gasp soon turned to her coughing convulsion:

' _Gollum, Gollum_ ,' she wheezed, and surely enough, Gollum was there to replace Samantha's shock with rage for somebody making Samantha consider such questions. She sprung towards Billy, snarling as she went, her mouth opened to its fullest extent. Billy swerved to the side, her knife piercing the surface of Samantha's right cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood in its wake.

Death had numbed her sense of pain, but Billy's words had hurt Samantha deeply, and she ran her finger along the fresh cut, feeling tears form in her eyes.

Seeing her opportunity, Billy hurdled over the disarrayed furniture to a shattered window, for the door was too far, and she clambered out, falling from the second floor, thinking that at the very least, it would be a quicker death than being eaten alive. She landed on her left side, screaming as she broke her arm and alarmed at the possible repercussions of only having one to fight with. She looked back up and saw a figure looming above, leaning out of the window, gnarling at her with intense rage and anger before turning back in the room and attempting to pursue her whilst she was wounded. Billy pushed herself back up with her right hand, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she forced herself away as quickly as possible, wincing and grunting as she went. She no longer cared for which direction she ran in, she only knew that she had to escape.

By the time Samantha and Gollum had come down, she was far from both their sense of sight and smell, leaving the two of them alone in their head. Samantha prepared herself for the punishment that was to follow, slipping back deep into their mind.

'You pathetic little fool,' Gollum growled, seething with rage. 'It's no wonder you died before. What did you do then? Trust the dead one that bit you, played games with them too? It's no different now! We're something else and you ruin us, you make us weak. You're such a wretched little girl that you might as well have been like the rest of the dead, you don't deserve to be here...' She paused briefly before continuing again, this time her tone becoming softer, but more menacing.

'You're very lucky I came to you. Aren't you?' she questioned, awaiting a response. Samantha remained where she was, afraid of what could happen if she took over without receiving permission.

' _Aren't you?_ ' Gollum asked, louder and more persistently this time, baring their teeth.

'Y... yes...' Samantha said, shivering, feeling tears begin to form. Her eyes seared with pain as they were abruptly prevented from falling by Gollum.

'You don't deserve me either, do you?' Gollum further demanded.

'No. No I don't,' Samantha replied this time immediately but regretfully.

'You'd be nowhere without me?' This was asked almost in a whisper, as Gollum's thin lips curled upwards.

'I'd be nowhere without you,' Samantha echoed, looking down, her eyes incessantly stinging at the tears being forced back beyond her control.

'No you wouldn't!' Gollum derided, letting out a searing laugh, before choking out her own name. 'And you'll never have any friends, nobody could ever possibly like you. Not after you ate her... Deanna.'

The memories brought a sharp pang that spread across Samantha's chest, reminding her of the cage her body had become. She had lost Gollum's fragile acceptance of her and was constrained in their mind, the mind that was once her own, and she was no longer allowed to surface at the forefront.

She was reminded who was truly in control.


	4. Chapter 4

Samantha came to accept that there was nothing she could do but wait until her punishment was over, remorsefully acknowledging that she had brought this upon herself by completely disobeying Gollum. She often reminisced upon the brief encounter with the human, which brought the smallest glimmer of happiness as she remembered being amongst something living without having to kill it and surrender to the instincts that Gollum coerced her into.

Samantha had been aware of the human's intense fear but became convinced that it was Gollum alone who had triggered such terror. After all, Samantha herself was afraid of the unwelcome visitor who could drive her out of existence in an instant, even though they spent every last moment together. Gollum's constant presence suffocated her, always there to disparage and rub salt into the wounds of her downfalls.

The bloodthirsty enragement Gollum expressed following the human's escape with the knowledge that they were different from other walkers only worsened the incessant reproaching Samantha faced; Gollum regarded this their most valuable secret and advantage in surviving. Samantha longed to point out that Gollum was the one to initiate conversation with the human but was physically unable to as mental shackles detained her in the most obscure regions of her consciousness, imprisoning her from the world. Even if she could speak about it, however, she would have chosen not to, mindful that it would only bring upon herself more misery.

Regaining some hope a few days later, Samantha was sure that such a punishment would not last any longer. The sun rose steadily, red gleams streaking across and staining the clouds, reflecting the bloody carnage it enveloped – a reminder of the Earth's inescapable limits. Yet there Samantha was, forced to endure the debilitating psychological strain she was placed under, draining her resilience and reinforcing her weakness in comparison to Gollum. Senses heightened, she was aware of the most minuscule motion her limbs could make. Her eyes would turn to see all the derelict buildings that surrounded her, her fist curling in a frustrated hostility, but she had no hold over any of these movements; a stronger will was driving her on. Gollum would turn their head and Samantha, feeling the force behind every muscular contraction, struggled against it without the slightest success. She was vanquished as though she put up no more resistance than an insect could, inevitably succumbing to this harsh reality, crushed as slowly and painfully as the whim of cruel figure looming above chose.

There were no humans nearby safe enough to hunt and so Gollum went to a river, instilling in Samantha a sense of optimism as fishing had been her one responsibility. Devouring fish satisfied her acute ravenous pangs without the guilt intertwined with consuming humans. More so, it reminded her of many a fishing trip in her life before with Deanna. Neither of them could afford to go very far, so the water became their escape and way of pretending that they could sail from all their troubles. They dove underwater, experiencing the coolness of it run over their bodies and soak through their clothes as their sorrows were washed away, the glittering sun above them being the only gold they ever desired. The sole reason Samantha still even thought to hurt humans, instead living off fish and animals alone, followed the months of torture she had endlessly suffered, blackmailed and manipulated by the persistent whispers she heard night after night. The ones that told her she had killed her dear friend, the menacing sneers that echoed in her head even now, the same bedtime story that left her trembling and whimpering until dawn. Gollum alleged that if it turned out she did not have to prey on humans anymore, Deanna's death would have been in vain, a murder committed in cold blood. This assertion entrenched itself in the depths of Samantha's soul, deluding her impressionable, confused thoughts.

She distracted herself from this by focussing on the sensations her body underwent; although unpleasant when Gollum prevailed, they were not so bad as the memories of her torment. Fingers dipping into the water, she grasped at the slippery, cold creature. It wriggled and squirmed, thrashing against her hand but to no avail. However, even for Samantha, everything felt wrong, none of these actions were her own. She attempted a small nudge of resistance against Gollum, only to be completely ignored. She tried again harder, more determined this time. Gollum stopped what she was doing, having the desire to lull Samantha into a sense of false hope. She derived a callous delight in the dominance she acquired through Samantha's deplorable dependence. Gollum saw her as a piece of glass to be broken; when this had been achieved she could impetuously glue her back together with soothing lies only to shatter her once again. To her, Samantha was a play-thing used to pass the time, too inadequate to be a worthy equal.

She kept up her act for a brief while, tethering to and fro between freeing Samantha and harshly shoving her back where she was, before becoming bored of this and tearing the flailing fish from the only place it ever knew.

Chewing upon it very slowly, Gollum allowed Samantha to feel each and every time her jaw clenched and relaxed, letting her experience the pain she could inflict through sharing a body; Samantha was too pathetic to deserve anything pleasant from her.

After growing tired of this, she released Samantha, distantly informing her that she hoped the lesson had been learnt. Lingering where she was, Samantha tried to keep herself from the stinging tears, unwilling to appear so vulnerable. Coaxing her into relinquishing her hiding place and taking control again, Gollum assured that all was forgiven. Even so, Samantha was wary of her wicked ways, and would initially have none of it after being held captive in her own mind for so long. Using a gentler tone, Gollum persuaded Samantha that all had been done for the greater good and that this was a learning curve. Her only wish was merely to protect the two of them from humans who may try to exploit them by treating them as a weapon. Everything that had gone wrong was Samantha's fault for not placing enough trust in her, and that was a sign of ungratefulness.

Eventually, Samantha began to believe that perhaps it was entirely her shortcomings which put her in this position. She was far too disoriented to continue questioning otherwise, it was easier to accept the twisted version of events as the truth.

Drawing herself out, she moved her fingers and turned her head in a circle to remember the feeling of piloting her own body. As she faced the world again, the tears began to come forth as if a crack in a dam had been formed, at first falling slowly before bursting through with full force to pave rivers of their own.

After she had wept for a while, she chose to forget all that had happened in the past week and happily began to fish as she would have done before, indulging in the memories of her previous life.

Sensing the malice lurking in the back of her mind, she spent a brief moment pondering if being left to live alone with her guilt, or perhaps even killing herself would have been better than this fate of never having a single moment to herself, always having someone else watching every move, criticising every mistake.

These thoughts soon passed, and within a day or two, things seemed as they were before with both personalities tolerant of each other once again.

A few months later, Samantha was sitting against a tree, her knees resting against her chest. Her eyes gazed upon a squirrel nearby, nothing more than a casual glance, as she wondered how something so small was managing throughout the apocalypse. She tried to whistle for it, only for her throat to spasm as she rasped out _'Gollum'_ , her head rocking forward involuntarily.

As she expected, the petrified squirrel scrambled up another tree instantaneously, its claws scratching and scraping the thick bark, scarring it with the marks of its fright. The poor thing had even left behind its chestnut, the surface dented in an attempt to attain the minimal sustenance that could be gained from it. At the top, a furry brown tail swished before vanishing out of sight behind the leaves, the scuffling noises abruptly ceasing. Samantha sighed to herself, knowing that many animals would never give her a chance; the rest of the dead had made them too distrustful. Approaching the tree, she bent to pick up the chestnut and left it balancing on the highest branch she could reach.

She stared up to try and catch another glimpse of the little being, until realising the leaves were only stirring because of the chilling breeze. She thought it was for the best, knowing that Gollum would have very different plans for it.

Turning around, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the tree, her nose inhaling the scent of the crisp winter air, sharp and bitter. Doing so, she smelt something familiar nearby and turned her head towards its direction before Gollum took over, affirming that she had the same recognition. They rose and crept to where it was coming from, avoiding any leaves or branches on the ground that could betray their presence. Their ears pricked as they heard the click of a gun being reloaded, and so they stayed low, concealed by vegetation. Samantha's stomach sank as she tried to look over, hoping that her senses would prove to be wrong.

Brown curly locks hung down the back of a young woman crouched on the earth, a bag to her right in which she appeared to be organising her supplies. Gollum, licking her lips, took to advancing towards the human from behind.

Before Billy could turn, Gollum sprung upon her shoulders. Billy's chest was crushed by Gollum's feet, as slender fingers wrapped around her neck. Her arm freshly recovered, Billy managed to swing herself around with a scream and knock Gollum against a tree, causing the half-walker to lose her grip and tumble to the ground. Billy only just retained her own balance, terror widening her eyes upon recognising who her assailant was. She aimed her gun at Samantha without any hesitation, fingers fumbling for the trigger. Gollum growled, carefully considering her next move, but Samantha was afraid that she soon may not have a next move. She was also aware that Gollum would never lose her dignity enough to beg for their lives, and so she took over in doing so herself.

'Please, we... we won't ever try to hurt you again... You'll never have to see us,' she implored, looking deeply into Billy's eyes, searching for any signs of pity or forgiveness.

'And why should I?' Billy responded, tilting her head back. 'You were going to eat me. _Alive._ ' Samantha shrugged her shoulders, shyly turning her head to the side.

'It didn't have to be alive - ' she began before realising what she had said. She was not used to having conversations and had forgotten the rule ingrained in childhood of thinking before speaking, especially after Gollum probed her for every thought she had, learning how her brain worked in order to manipulate it for the worse. Samantha now found herself completely out of practice in the art of diplomacy and speaking with tact.

Gollum meanwhile lay in wait as though a lion concealed in grass, preparing to pounce at any moment. Samantha looked back into the human's eyes to see an expression of combined disgust and fear upon her face. Samantha, pressing her grazed palms against the bristly grass, stood herself up. 'That is more than close enough!' Billy declared, brandishing her silver pistol directly in front of Samantha's skull. 'Take one more step and I will use this!'

'Please, don't kill us. You're a very kind human, yes, _Gollum_ , and we wouldn't want to hurt you, would we, preciousss?' No reply came.

'I don't believe you wholeheartedly mean that,' Billy noted, and exhaled deeply. She wanted to put an end to this wretch, but immediately recalled that she used to be human too and there was still

a humane part of her left. What if she was the only chance the world had to find a cure? She could not be the one responsible for preventing that. An idea came to her, both dangerous and rash, but she had to give it an attempt.

'Stay right where you are,' she demanded, still aiming her pistol whilst bending down to reopen her bag. Rummaging through it with one hand, her eyes remaining fixed on Samantha, she pulled out some rope.

'What's it doing, preciousss?' Samantha questioned, hesitant, yet curious.

'I'll show you,' answered Billy. 'Come here.'

'Don't listen to her,' Gollum hissed. 'Are you that naïve?'

Samantha was torn between her innocent trust in the one human she knew and her reluctant loyalty owed towards her brutal saviour. Softening her voice, Billy announced her decision.

'I won't kill you… but there is one condition to this,' she informed, before providing her ultimatum: 'There is no way I will just let you go free, not after our previous encounter and certainly not after just now. If you are to stay alive, or whatever it is you are considered to be, you shall remain within my sight. I will bind you and you are to do as I say.' She altered her posture to appear slightly taller in compensation for her lacking confidence. 'Is that understood?'

'It will never do that!' Gollum spat bitterly. However, being amongst Billy fuelled Samantha with a new strength; she had a true purpose now for surfacing in the world.

'Al - Alright,' she agreed, almost in a whisper, in spite of her hatred towards the prospect. She did not wish to be treated as a wild beast would, but knew that in the eyes of many humans, she would be regarded lower than even the foulest of creatures.

'Turn around then,' Billy ordered and Samantha obeyed. Returning the pistol to its holster, she set about her plan.

Samantha regretted her compliance as soon as she felt the rough rope coiling around her wrists, denying her iced hands of the depleted blood supply they received, realising now that she had simply traded the constraints of her mind for physical bonds.

Billy kept contemplating her decision, wondering what this would involve; what needs would the half-walker have, other than hunger? And what should be done when she was hungry?

Samantha dreaded the thought of how the human would treat her; what if she was used as no more than a weapon, just as Gollum had warned her?

Knotting the rope tightly, Billy glanced back at her bag, where another coil lay. _'Better to be safe than sorry'_ , she thought to herself as she went to pick it up, her right hand retrieving the pistol once again and pressing it against Samantha's left leg in case any attempts were made to escape. Wishing to know what she was doing, Samantha stretched her neck to look down upon the human but was greeted with Billy's arm swiftly aiming between her eyes.

'Keep looking straight ahead, I never said you could look back,' she snapped, and as Samantha did so, Billy rose to full height, clenching the second rope in her left hand. She formed and tied a lasso and attempted to place it around Samantha's neck, raising her thinning hair before bringing it down and across her throat.

Infuriated by this, Gollum emerged and kicked backwards, snarling as she did so. Both human and half-walker fell together, but as Billy hit the ground her grip on the rope loosened, enabling Gollum to twist herself around. She pinned Billy down using her legs and the weight of her body, arms still tied behind her back, then went about setting her teeth into flesh. Samantha managed to intervene, stopping herself from drawing any blood as her mouth encompassed Billy's right shoulder.

Finding herself faced with a dilemma, she hesitated in what to do. She could finish this now before she sentenced herself to a life of being a human's captive. She would be the one who made this decision for herself, not Gollum, making her the stronger of the two. She could therefore finally live of her own accord, with nobody to hold her back or tell her what to do. She could finally come to embrace who she was, rather than try to fit in where she would only inevitably fail. Saliva was being secreted around her tongue as her canines clamped Billy into place, the delicious taste tempting her on. Was the life of a human worth her own eternal anguish, when humans always misunderstood her before she had a chance to show them otherwise?

Yet this was her chance to prove that she had something to offer to the world. Did she really want to return to the complete isolation that left her with no other choice but to turn to Gollum? To roam the emptying planet as though nothing more than the other mindless monsters?

Intensely shuddering, Billy was trying her very hardest to hold back tears. She was not a fighter and never wanted to be. She had always been content with the way life had been prior to the apocalypse, when everything was peaceful, and nothing ever happened. She did not choose this path; this path had been chosen for her. She felt foolish for ever believing she could survive through this.

'Just – Just do it quickly,' she mumbled, closing her eyes, bracing herself for the pain.

Samantha thought back to the squirrel, retreating up the tree away from her. She wanted a companion, a real, separate person, someone with whom she could be equal. She withdrew her teeth, and crawled away from Billy, going to sit upon her knees. She looked to the ground and

caught sight of a small daisy, still braving the winter where many grand plants had failed.

'I've already agreed to your condition,' she uttered quietly. 'If you really wish, my hands may remain bound… Just please, take the rope off my neck.'

Billy, still shaking, sat herself up on the elbows, rolling her shoulder backwards and forwards, running her left hand over it to check for any damage. Astonished with the seemingly unlikely outcome

of being spared, she knew what was to come would be difficult, but she was going to make it work. The belief that the apocalypse did not have to be humanity's end was the only thing that kept her going, and Samantha's unprecedented mercy provided her with reignition. She was going to tame the peculiar half-walker, however arduous the task may be.

' _Fate must have made us cross paths again,'_ Billy mused. _'It must have.'_


End file.
